The obvious is not so obvious
by closetfan
Summary: When a woman dies in Johnny's arms, the mystery of who's after the Fantastic Four deepens. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the Fantastic Four, nor earn monies from the stories I've written. I wish to thank Marvel and Stan Lee for allowing me to write fan fics with their creations.

AN: Author has a very sensitive muse. No reviews, no story.(sorry…….not a threat, just a fact)

**THE OBVIOUS IS TOO OBVIOUS**

Other than the clanking of silverware on china, the kitchen was silentt. A muffled "mmmm", or slurp occasionally accented the quiet. Sue broke the hush. "Ben, you never told us what kind of cook you are. This is fantastic!"

The three men stopped eating and looked at her. She blushed. "I didn't just say 'fantastic' did I?"

Ben washed down his mouthful with a metal pitcher of ice tea and smiled. "Hey, Suzie, if it fits…"

"So, where did you learn to cook?"

"My EX-fiancé and me took some cookin' classes together. And with my _fantastic_ appetite now, I shouldn't expect you to cook for me all the time."

Johnny threw a roll at Ben. "Enough with the _fantastic_, already."

"Hey Hot-head, speaking of fantastic, didya hear?" Ben stuffed the roll into his mouth.

"Hear what?"

"Reed's bein' honored for that little science project he did last year. Black tie affair. We're all invited." Ben turned to Sue. "Looks like I'm gonna have to go find someone to make me a tux, huh?"

Before she could answer Johnny's eyes widened. "Gee, I do too."

Reed stopped with a forkful halfway to his mouth. "I thought you just bought one?"

"Uh, yeah! But it got torched within hours when I had to go chase that shiny fella. Remember?"

Reed tweaked an eyebrow as he remembered the incident.

"Hey Pebbles, we can go tux hunting tomorrow. Whatcha say?"

"Oh. yippee."

Johnny sat back and smirked at the sourness he heard in Ben's voice. "First thing in the morning, then. I know this great place down the Village."

"Village?" Ben glared at the Torch. "I ain't wearing no powder blue zoot-suit with lilac frills!"

The smirk widened into a huge smile. "Trust me. You'll look terrific!"

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"Where the hell is this place?"

Before Johnny could answer Ben's question, a shrill scream pierced the air. They both shot a look in the direction it came from, ready for action.

Across the street, a pack of Catholic schoolgirls all in their matching uniforms, noticed their heartthrob, The Human Torch, and they let out a squeal of delight in unison.

Ever loving the attention, even if the fairer sex was a bit on the young side, Johnny shoved Ben through the door. "It's right here Big Fella. You get yourself all measured up while I keep the fans at bay." He turned and faced the mob. "Hi, girls!" His bright smile elicited another round of shrieks.

"Can I have your autograph, Johnny?" A teenybopper with curly blond hair batter her baby blues at him.

He looked at her wondering how one so young could be so interested in the opposite sex already. "Sure." He took the paper offered, but turned down the pen. "Don't need that." He placed his fingernail on the paper and started scribbling his name. The paper smoldered for a moment before he handed it back.

The young girl looked at his name burned into the paper. "Hey cool!" She turned, pushing through the crowd. "Lookit what I got!"

o o o

Ben stood in front of the mirror watching the salesman measure him. He tried to catch any fleeting glimpse from the gentleman regarding his feelings towards working on such a behemoth of a man. But, the tailor was all business. As far as he was concerned this was just another suit to make and more money in his pocket.

"Sir, will that be solid black with a satin lapel?"

"Whatever you make, make it conservative. I already stand out enough as it is."

"Very well, sir. Will you be needing the button shirt as well?"

"The whole kit-n-caboodle."

"As soon as I write up your order, you'll be all set. Will the walking flame also be coming in to be measured?"

If Ben had been drinking soda, there would have a spoot alert. He fought to hold in the laughter as he looked outside to see Johnny flaming up for a few seconds. "Yeah, he's next. Be good to him, he's a repeat customer."

The salesman gave Ben an odd look, then smiled. "Tell him to make sure he's completely out when he walks in here. I don't need a cinder to set my shop ablaze."

o o o

Finished with the original group of girls, Johnny looked up and noticed the crowd had quintupled in size to include people of all ages, from kids on bikes to old men with walkers. He just ate up the attention. The crowd had been egging him to flame-on. Not wanting to disappoint his fans, he obliged.

As he extinguished himself a deep sexy voice come from beside him. "Now that's what I call hot."

Although far from original anymore, actually pissing him off now, the voice was so sensual he couldn't help but smile when he turned. He paused and a smile grew. "That's nothing. You should see how hot I can really be!"

A gorgeous woman about his age with dark thick wavy hair, and crystalline green eyes stood a few feet away. She was tall, almost his height and took a few strides towards him. She tripped face first into the his arms. Johnny caught her easily. "Don't worry, women fall for me all the time." But his smile faded as he looked up to the crowd. "I think she's fainted."

After a pause a teen spoke up. "I don't think she's fainted."

"Huh?"

The young man pointed to a small red stain. "I don't think she's fainted."

Johnny looked over her shoulder, down her back. "Ohmygod. Someone call 9-1-1!" He laid her down on the sidewalk, facedown. Blood oozed from a hole in the silk blouse she wore. He looked up just as Ben emerged from the store.

"What happened?"

Johnny shrugged and shook he head before blurting out, "Don't know. She walked towards me, tripped into my arms, then this."

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The detective talking with Johnny, reminded him of Columbo, Kojak and Ben all rolled into one. He was built like a brick shithouse, wore a crumple overcoat and was bald. "You sayin she just took a couple of steps towards you, tripped and died in your arms?"

Johnny nodded.

He eyed the young hero. "So, I'm guessing you probably have a lot of enemies?"

"Huh?

"Well, I'm thinkin she just got in the way. That bullet was meant for you. You being a hero and all. You've probably pissed off some bad guys along the way." He scowled. "…or someone's husband."

"Now wait just a min…"

Ben stepped up to the detective. "There's no need to be unreasonable."

"I'm just stating a fact. Your buddy here's known to be quite social with the women. Maybe one of them was married. Can't ignore anything, especially this obvious. Anyway, here's my card if you think of anyone in particular who might've done this."

Ben looked at the card. "Detective Tolo?"

"You got a problem with that?"

"No. Just never heard of it."

"It's Italian."

"We'll call you if we think of anything. C'mon, Johnny, let's get outa here."

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**JOHNNY STORM**

**TARGET OF ASSASSIN**

"Perfect!" The killer smiled at the headlines and continued with the rest of the article regarding the previous day's events:

A young woman, identified as

Kisie McCardle was caught

in the wrong place at the wrong

time yesterday. As she approached

the youngest member of the

Fantastic Four, she was hit with

an assassin's bullet meant for

the Human Torch. Police

investigation is continuing

to find her killer. A spokes

person for the Fantastic Four

has stated that the superheroes

will do everything within their power

to find the murderer.

Spoot alert. Spoot is when something is so funny that when a person drinking soda is exposed to said funny piece, they snort the soda out their nose.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the Fantastic Four, nor earn monies from the stories I've written. I wish to thank Marvel and Stan Lee for allowing me to write fan fics with their creations.

AN: Chapter reposted with grammatical errors corrected. I was in such a hurry to give you guys another chappy, I didn't proof well. And MANY thanks for all the reviews. The muse is revved to write more.

**THE OBVIOUS IS NOT SO OBVIOUS**

Sue saw Johnny sitting on the edge of the Baxter building, feet dangling over. For a nanosecond, her first reaction was to grab him to keep him from falling. Having had their powers for years now, she still sometimes forgot that he could fly. She walked over and sat next to him, facing inward. Her feet planted firmly on the roof. She said nothing.

He didn't look at her, but knew she was there. He was deep in his own torment. He wanted to talk about it, but his mouth wouldn't open. He wanted to cry, but his eyes remained dry. He wanted to hit something, but not his sister. She didn't deserve it. Besides, she could hit back.

After about 5 minutes, he finally blurted something out. "It's my fault, you know."

"How's that?"

"Oh, c'mon Sue. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that if I wasn't there, that girl would still be alive. If I hadn't been a publicity hog, none of this would have happened."

"And if she wasn't there?"

"I can take care of myself!"

Sue looked hard at her brother. "Johnny, you're not bullet proof…"

"And neither was that girl." Johnny's temper was starting to flare when Reed came outside.

"Sorry to bust in on the party, but there's a building that's about to collapse. Apparently they were in the middle of renovations and removed important supports. Several workers are caught inside. Johnny, if you want you can sit this one out…"

"Don't baby me! I can do my job! "

"Listen, Johnny, if you aren't 100 percent focused on the rescue, you're not only a risk to yourself, but to us and the people we're rescuing. Your brain's got to be 100 percent engaged. And if someone's going to take potshots at you while…"

"I'll be fine! Dammit, it's been 3 weeks already. Besides, I'm safe when the flame's on."

Reed saw Sue open her mouth and cut her off. "Sue, let's go. If Johnny feels he's okay to handle it, then he probably can." He gave her a look that communicated that she was not to say anything.

As Reed ushered her inside, she protested. "He's not bulletproof even with the flames."

"I know. But his head's not screwed on tight right now and he's going no matter what. I don't want to add that tidbit of information. Not right now. After we get back, I'll fill him in."

"But he may decide to stay here if he knows."

Reed looked Sue straight in the eyes. "You don't believe that. Not for a moment."

She looked down and sighed. "You're right. He has to prove something to himself. Maybe saving somebody's life will validate his survival at the loss of that woman's life. But suppose someone shoots him ….I'll never be able to forgive myself."

Reed squeezed her shoulder.

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The killer lay prone on top of a medium sized building, looking down on a major rescue in progress. Disaster after disaster had been visited in the last three weeks in hopes of running into the Fantastic-4 again. But luck was not around. That was, until now.

The rifle was pointed towards the rescuers, a smile crept onto the killer's face. The trigger was squeezed.

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Ben groaned under the weight of the wall he was holding up. Sue was using her force field in another part of the building and wasn't able to include the wall Ben was supporting without impeding the rescue. He had his head down and shoulders into his work, but he could still hear Johnny above him coordinating the rescue with Reed. He knew they were somewhere several floors up and that he had to keep this wall from collapsing. Debris continued to rain down upon him, but didn't faze him a bit. As far as he was concerned it was no worse than a tickle.

As the building shifted in its quest for self destruction, Ben received a painful blow to his right shoulder blade. He looked around trying to see what hit him but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. His attention was drawn back to his work however when the structure groaned. He turned his head towards Reed. "I'm not…going to be able…to hold…this…much……longer!"

Reed was stretched out like a trampoline. "Just one more victim, Ben. Just one more!"

With an anguished cry that almost sounded human, the rest of the wall crumbled down around Ben. A plume rose up and enveloped the powerful man. The other three were worried when they couldn't see their friend. But as the cloud settled, Ben was still standing dusting off the powder and pebbles. He looked towards Reed. "Did you get him in time?"

Reed sprang back to his normal self, supporting a shell shocked worker. "Yup. Johnny made it out too. You, okay?"

"This? This was nuthin'. Just got a little dust in my hair." He rubbed his rock hard pate brushing the dirt off.

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"Hey Big Guy!" Johnny slapped Ben on the back, his mood improved with the lives of 12 men saved. "You got a chip outa your back, there. Whadya do? Get hit with an I-beam?"

"Where?" Ben tried to look at his back most unsuccessfully with his limited motion.

"Your shoulder."

Reed looked over, curious. "Ben, with all the stuff we've been through, I don't ever remember you breaking. Let me take a look."

He easily found the hole Johnny was talking about and fingered it. "I can't figure this out. The amount of weight needed to do this much damage, whatever hit you would need to be huge." He fingered it some more. It was an almost perfectly round crater about an inch in diameter. "I've seen something similar looking but I can't place where."

Interested, Sue came over to study Ben's back, too. She cocked her head. "Yeah, that pattern does look familiar."

"I know what that is."

Everyone looked at Johnny as his voice had lost the joviality that was present just moments ago. His smile was gone. "You guys need to watch more gangster movies. Bullets make that kind of dent."

The three looked at each other. Given the recent event three weeks ago, that idea should have been in the forefront.

"Johnny, you were nowheres near me. If this is what you say it is, then maybe the guy's not out to get you after all but is after all of us."

Reed replayed the story both Ben and Johnny relayed to him when the young woman was killed. Ben was just coming out of the shop. "Or, maybe they're after you, Ben. The shooter could have seen you coming towards the door."

"Well, if that's the case, we got no worries. Heck, this little thing felt like a bee sting, nothing more."

Sue was not convinced. "I think we should all take precautions. We don't know if this nutcase is after Johnny, Ben or all of us. And we need to update Detective Tolo right away."

"Sue, why don't you call him? Johnny and Ben can help me search through our records to see if we can come up with a name or two."

She nodded. At least she was doing something instead of waiting for the police.

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Sue held the phone towards Reed. "It's Detective Tolo. He wants to know if we want police protection tonight at the awards dinner."

"What do you think?"

Sue was hesitant to suggest that they don't need it. "Well, there hasn't been anything in the past 2 months. Not since we found that _dent_ in Ben. Which was never proven to be a bullet anyway. We'll be indoors, surrounded by lots of people. So, as much as I hate to say it, I'm not sure police presence will be needed."

"I was thinking along the same lines. Why don't you tell him…"

Sue held up her finger in the 'wait a minute' gesture as she listened to Tolo. "Really? Why didn't you say so? We'd be happy to give you a ticket. You just didn't strike us as being the scientific kind. Okay, 8 o'clock then."

Reed raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?"

"The detective said he was hoping we'd say yes to the offer because he wants to go. Said he's always been a science geek."

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Detective Tolo leaned back in his chair pumping his massive arms in an enthusiastic applause as Reed received his plaque. "Your husband is quite the egghead, Mrs. Richards."

"Detective, we're not married…yet."

"Oh, I thought you guys got married last year. The papers kept saying '6th time a charm'."

"Well, it wasn't. But you're correct about Reed. They don't come any smarter. If you were so much into science yourself, why didn't you work in the field?"

"My father's a cop. Two uncles on my mother's side are cops. My grandfather was a cop. Even my aunt on my dad's side's a cop."

Sue just smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. She looked at the middle-aged officer. He came dressed in a tux, but it was crumpled looking just like all his clothes. It wasn't that it wasn't ironed or had been lying in a heap in the corner...his clothes just seem to sit on him like that. But she had to admit to herself, she was glad he was there. Even though there had been no more attempts on their lives, she was still on edge.

"…by the way, Ms. Storm…"

"It's Sue, detective. Please call me Sue."

"…by the way, _Sue_. We finished checking out the last of the list you gave us. Everyone checked out. It doesn't seem to be any of them. You guys may have to go back to the drawing board for more suspects."

"Okay. But can we keep the shop talk to a minimum tonight? I want tonight to be about Reed."

A half hour later, the room started to empty out. The five people at the main table, The Fantastic-Four and one detective, waited for the crowd to finish filing through the doors. Ralph, as the other came to call the detective, was admiring the plaque. "Wow, this is really somethin', Reed. If you ever need an assistant let me know. I might just want to give up this policing business."

Bringing up the rear, they congregated outside the main doors while Ben got the car. The stars were brilliant and the air crisp as Sue took a deep breath. Reed extended his hand. "Thanks for coming Detective."

"Hey, it was a real pleasure. Thanks for getting me a ticket. I'm glad that the only exciting thing that happened tonight was your award."

"Me too. Can we give you a ride? Ben'll be here any minute."

"No, thanks, I'm parked right over there. Good night." He gave a half hearted salute as he turned and left.

As Reed watched the officer pull away, he felt the plaque being lifted from his hands. 

"I didn't get to see this yet. The cop was hogging it all night."

"Johnny, you're going to get to see it for years to come."

The young man handed it over to Sue. She and Reed admired it together and didn't hear what sounded like a car backfire in the distance above the din of the city noise.

Johnny felt as if someone had just tapped him hard in the stomach. But no one was around. He looked down and saw red ooze spreading across his pristine white shirt. He brought his hand up and fingered the small hole in the center. As darkness started to envelop him he uttered, "Sue, I think I've been shot."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the Fantastic Four, nor earn monies from the stories I've written. I wish to thank Marvel and Stan Lee for allowing me to write fan fics with their creations.

AN: Author has a very sensitive muse. No reviews, no story.(sorry…….not a threat, just a fact)

**THE OBVIOUS IS NOT SO OBVIOUS**

The shadowed specter remained prone while the young blond dropped to his knees, then collapsed altogether. Distant sirens grew louder as the two others knelt beside the fallen hero. The loose black clothing the gunman wore was camouflage against the dark night sky, the only thing visible was an explosively white smile. A Cheshire smile. Although two police cars were the first upon the scene there was still no movement to exit the roof.

After the ambulance arrived, the paramedics working on the young Storm were watched from above. It was only when he was loaded him into the vehicle screaming towards the hospital did the shooter stand, do a little jig then strolled calmly to the exit and disappeared.

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The doors to the Emergency Room did not explode open with the dramatical effects usually saved for TV. The slid quietly to the side in a whisper. The gurney with Johnny on board was rushed in surrounded by the two paramedics and greeted by a nurse. One medic updated the nurse in a soft tone. "GS to the abdomen, moderate to massive blood loss. BP 100 over 60, pulse 58 and thready, respiration rapid and shallow. Victim was semi-conscious throughout the ride. Started on Ringer's Lactate. Allergies, unknown. Relatives are enroute."

She pointed to a curtained room. "Put him in **4**."

The paramedic that had listed the stats added, "This guy's Johnny Storm. Don't know what all can happen. You guys might want to take precautions."

"Precautions? Why?"

"Well…if you give him oxygen, will he explode? If he wakes up, will he burst into flames?" The medic just shrugged and left.

The nurse took a step back as she looked at their not-so-average patient.

The others arrived within 10 minutes of Johnny. Reed marched over to the reception desk. "May I help you, sir?" She didn't look up from her paperwork.

"I'm looking for Johnny Storm?"

"If you take a seat with the rest of the reports I'll have a report for you later."

"I'm not a reporter!"

She looked up. In his tux, he wasn't immediately recognized. "Then who are you?"

"Reed Richards."

"Are you family?"

He was getting impatient. "No, not yet. Do you know who I am?"

"You just told me Reed Richards."

"Yes and do you know who Reed Richards IS?"

A light went on inside the receptionist's head. "Oh, Mr. Richards. The doctors need to speak to you right away. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you without your uniform."

She ushered Sue and Reed into the room. Ben realized that his huge bulk would stress the already busy room and voluntarily remained in the waiting room. He was once again beginning to feel self-conscious with all the other people staring at him. He scanned the small room and realized that the ER was very busy for the middle of the night. A child in pajamas got off his chair and offered it to the Thing, who just smiled. It was a nice gesture, but the small plastic and hollow metal chair wouldn't last 5 seconds under his weight. "Thanks, but you look like you could use it more than me."

The child smiled jumped back up next to a very relieved parent. Ben noticed the adult holding a bloody wrap around their left hand and thought that the poor child was awaken and dragged to the hospital because no one else was at home. With that thought, he decided to take him mind of his worries by trying to figure out the story behind the people there. It would keep him occupied at least.

Behind the curtain, Reed was holding Sue tight. "Truthfully doctor, I don't know if Johnny will flare up while unconscious. He hasn't been sick or injured since…uh…the accident. I wish I could tell you better news, but that wouldn't be fair to you."

Even though the emergency room personnel were working feverishly on the young man, everyone feared what would happen if he suddenly burst into flames. Aside from the burns to the people, the whole hospital could go up. The doctor talking with the couple rubbed his chin. "Okay, our ORs should be able to contain any flare-ups, but we would need to keep the oxygen and anesthesia tanks outside." He stood there, still rubbing his chin, deep in thought. "I don't know where we are going to get fire-resistant sterile outfits though. We really should have those." He looked over at Johnny. "Can't do an MRI with the bullet still in there. How is he with x-rays?"

Sue and Reed looked at each other and shrugged. "He was fine before the accident."

"Well I can't think of any reason why an x-ray would trigger him to burst into flames. Can you Dr. Richards?"

Reed just shook his head.

"We'll be taking him to one of the ORs to finish his assessment and stabilization. I can't risk him setting the curtains and everything else in this room on fire. There is an old hardly used room that will be suited to his, um, special needs. We'll use that for his pre-op, recovery and hospital stay. The actual surgery will need to be done in one of the modern rooms. Although you aren't allowed in surgery, would you please accompany us to his room? We may still need your input."

"Doctor? Did you say you needed sterile flame resistant operating suits?"

The physician looked at the beautiful young lady and nodded.

She turned to her fiancé. "What about our space lab suits? They are decontaminated whenever we return from space then put in airtight storage. Will they work?"

Reed smiled. "They'd be perfect."

She turned back to the doctor. "Give me 20 minutes. I'll be back with what you need."

Ben caught Susan running through the emergency room and stopped her. "Hey, what's the matter? Is Johnny…?"

"I need to get our spacelab suits."

"Why?"

"I'll explain later. I need to go now."

"Suze, let me go. I'm not doing anything. And Johnny needs you. Just let me know all you need."

Reed was surprised when Sue walked back into Johnny's new room. "I thought you were going…"

"I was but Ben's just sitting around waiting. He wanted to go. I told him to just pick up all 12 suits that we had. I didn't know how many people they have in surgery." She looked to her brother. "How is he?"

"He's bleeding a lot. They've already pumped a couple of bags of blood into him. Good thing he's O positive. That's the most common type. They have a lot on hand."

He was already intubated, had an IV, and wired from the heart and pulse-ox monitors. Underneath all the medical paraphernalia he looked deathly white.

Reed continued to talk to her. "They're not sure about his temperature. It's a lot higher than normal. Normal for a human. I'm not sure what would be normal for Johnny. But, I don't think that's a worry. No matter how hot he gets, his body should be able to handle it."

"Who would want him dead?" She turned to her fiancé, buried her head in his chest and sobbed.

"Excuse us."

She broke her embrace with Reed as the techs started wheeling Johnny towards the door.

"We're taking him to x-ray to find out exactly where the bullet came to rest. Then he's going straight to surgery. Are the suits…"

Just as the doctor started to inquire about the flame-proof scrubs, Ben burst in. "Is this what you wanted?" He held up a dozen vacutainer bags with silver outfits.

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"Nurse, bring that light a little closer. That's it. Hold it."

The surgeon, wearing the flamesuit sans the helmet and bulky gloves had his hands buried deep in Johnny's chest. He heard the anesthesiologist crack a joke. "I feel like a Bones."

The youngest nurse there looked at the doctor. "What?"

"Dr. McCoy? I guess you're too young for Star Trek."

"Can I have some suction here?" The surgeon brought the attention back to the patient. "I'm going to try to salvage the spleen. It's leaking like a sieve. C'MON! where's the suction?"

He looked up to see why his assistant was lagging and noticed that Johnny's arm with the IV in it was aflame. "Ignore that. Don't worry unless you're going to get your face or hands burned."

"But the IV tubing will melt."

The physician stopped working, looking at the situation. "Shit. He needs that. Rob, call down to Supply and see if they have any stainless steel tubing. If they do, tell them to autoclave it. But we don't have time to wait the full cycle. Give it a quick and dirty cleaning. Dr. Richards said that this young man can't have bacteria grow due to his high temps. Let's hope that's true. Hey, get that needle out of his arm now before it melts in there. Use the hemostat, not your fingers!"

"Jack?"

The surgeon looked at the anesthesiologist who was getting a worried look. "His face is getting hot. Really hot. At this rate he's going to melt the tracheal tubes, oxygen mask and everything else around here. Even with the tanks outside, if he melts those tubes, a fire will still erupt."

The beeping from the heart monitor started to elicit an irregular beat.

"We're gonna lose him. Pull out everything that can melt or burn. I want everyone out of here but you." He pointed to a 3rd year resident. "I need you to hold the clamps and suction. Hurry. I don't know how long he'll last."

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The gunman read the papers:

Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, was shot while attending his fellow teammate's award dinner. A valiant effort was put forth to save the life of the super-hero. Police are asking anybody who may have information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter to step forward. Their identities will remain confidential. While investigation is aimed at a personal enemy of the young man, a person with a grudge against the group has not been ruled out.

"Oh this is so perfect!" The paper was crumbled and tossed into the trash.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the Fantastic Four, nor earn monies from the stories I've written. I wish to thank Marvel and Stan Lee for allowing me to write fan fics with their creations.

A/N: I start vacation tomorrow. You guys will determine if my muse will bring me indoors to work on the story while the sun is shining, the grass is growing, the garden is calling and the birds are chirping.

**THE OBVIOUS IS NOT SO OBVIOUS**

"He's naked!"

Reed looked up from his text book when Ben entered the stark, windowless room. He glanced over to Johnny eying the unconscious, unclothed man. "He's incinerated seven hospital gowns and bed linens since he got out of surgery. Sue's gone back to our lab to see if she can put together something he could wear in here."

"Seven? Gee, he's averaging two an hour."

"Well, the flare ups are not at regular ½ hour intervals. He had four the first hour, none the second, then he had three…"

"Reed."

"Uh? Oh, right." He went back to reading his book.

The Thing sidled up to the metal operating table that was Johnny's bed and eyed the 6 inch incision. "Boy, he's gonna have some scar to show the ladies. Why isn't it bandaged?"

Reed just lifted his hand and mimicked lighting a lighter.

At that moment Johnny started to groan and writhe.

Reed got up and moved away. "Step back."

Just as Ben was a few feet away, a flash fire consumed the young man not unlike a gas grill finally igniting after too long of a pause. The heat filled the room before the flames died, extinguished as quickly as they had started.

"He always start movin' before he let's one loose like that?"

Reed nodded as he sat back down. "Yeah, Sue and I think he might be having nightmares."

"Say, speaking of Suzie, shouldn't someone be with her? Supposed that nutjob with the gun goes after her?"

"Detective Tolo's with her. But he doesn't think anything will happen. Between the mark on your back…"

"It was my shoulder, Reed. Get it right!"

"Whatever. Like I was saying, between that and the two attempts on Johnny, this guy seems to disappear for about a month or so between attacks. Tolo really doesn't think he'll strike again for a while. Beside, he does think Johnny's the real target, not any of us."

"I don't see that. How so?"

Reed got up and walked around. "The detective thinks that you were shot at by the gunman only as a distraction. To take the cops away from finding who the real killer is. Johnny's the only one who seems a serious target. You? If the killer really wanted to kill another Fantastic-Four member, why try to shoot you? You're, you know…a big rock."

"A big rock? That's what I am to you!?"

"C'mon, Ben. You know what I mean. You don't look like you can be brought down by a bullet. Sue seems much more vulnerable than you. And I don't look like I would stop a bullet either."

"Yea, yeah. I know what you mean. So that's what Tolo's thinkin'? This killer's trying to put the cops on the wrong trail?"

Reed nodded.

"Well if you want my opinion, I'm thinkin' it's the husband of one of his one night stands."

Ben paused. "What would a bullet do to you?"

"Dunno. And I have no desire to find out!"

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The shooter waltzed into the hospital like an employee, not stopped by security or questioned by anyone. Wearing a white labcoat helped. As Susan brushed by rushing out the door, the thought of going after Johnny again changed. _'Hmmm. She'll definitely be on her way back soon. That woman is on a mission, she's not strolling to go home for a nap. _'

Before leaving, it wasn't hard to find out where the Human Torch was staying. It was all the buzz of the hospital. A quick walk past the ancient OR to stakeout the layout told the story of how many people were guarding it and how many were inside. To the delight of the hospital imposter, not too much security.

The gunman exited the hospital, looked up and down the street and chose a perfect spot for the next opportunity.

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"Ralph, what have your people come up with so far? After all, it's been 3 months since that woman was killed." Sue's walk back to the hospital was brisk, and the heavier, shorter detective had to work to keep up.

"Truthfully, Susan, I'm baffled. All the names you gave us of prospective suspects, none panned out. We're going back to square one. I'm going to need a list of all the women he's gone out with."

"All?"

"Yup. It can't be _**that**_ long, can it?"

"Johnny hasn't been serious with any one person. He's enjoying this celebrity status. I'm not even sure he remembers all the women he's gone out with. And why are you so sure the killer's after Johnny. Ben was shot, too."

"I think Ben was a red herring. Just to throw us off. And we've already gone through all the names of people that might have something against you guys as a group. So, it has to be someone just after Johnny. Is there a person that might hold a grudge against him like maybe he didn't save a family member in time? Damaged their car? Set someone's shorts on fire? Something like that?"

"After we're sure Johnny's out of the wood, Reed and I'll comb over the records again. See if there's something that my brother did as an individual… like burn someone's shorts." She gave the detective a sly smile.

As they were walking deep in conversation, discussing possible suspects, the detective answered his cell phone. "Uh, huh. Did you check the folders? What about the files? Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I have to leave you guys but I'll be right back. I'll drop you off at Johnny's door. You shouldn't have to worry about anything, I have good men on duty."

Sue looked at the half a block left to go. "I don't need an escort. The hospital's right there."

The cop looked uneasy.

She smiled. "C'mon, Ralph, it's me, the Invisible Woman! I'm a super-hero remember? Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

Hesitating, he stopped and started to shake his head.

"Go. GO!"

Reluctantly, the detective headed for his car. Sue had that determination about her that he couldn't win against. But he kept looking at her from the corner of his eye trying not to be too obvious. He got into his vehicle and sat there watching her head towards the hospital. He wasn't going to move until he at least saw her enter the building.

He didn't see the car coming.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the Fantastic Four, nor earn monies from the stories I've written. I wish to thank Marvel and Stan Lee for allowing me to write fan fics with their creations.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. You should have taken me up on my offer to do it over vacation because once I got back to work, all hell broke loose and I hadn't had a moment to even breath, much less write. Hopefully this will hold you until the next chapter.

**THE OBVIOUS IS NOT SO OBVIOUS**

Sue whipped around at the sound of squealing brakes. Coming straight at her was a late model dark green sedan. More from a reaction than a thought process, she threw up her force field just as the car jumped the curb two feet away from her.

The front of the full size vehicle crumpled just as if it hit a brick wall leaving the driver stunned and the horn blaring. Sue stood there dumbfounded, her heart drumming a native dance in her chest. She didn't see Detective Tolo run up near the car, gun drawn, screaming, "Police, get out of the car! I want to see your hands."

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Reed and Ben heard a commotion outside in the hall. They were expecting to hear someone scream "Code Red" or "Code Blue" or "Where's the crash cart?"

Curiosity taking over, Ben opened the door and saw a few people scurrying for the exit. One lost-looking man wearing white asked, "What's going on?"

As a person ran by, they yelled over their shoulder, "Someone just tried to kill the Invisible Woman. She's right outside the hospital."

It didn't take the two men a nanosecond to process what they just heard. As they barreled out of Johnny's room, Reed pointed to the one police officer on duty. "You watch him!"

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

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No one on the street noticed the rifle slide back in through the window three stories up. Most people had their backs to the old building as they gawked at the drama unfolding before them.

An elderly man, approaching the century mark by the looks of him, was going after Detective Tolo with his cane. "I'll show you to point a gun at me! Who do you think you are?! Dirty Harry? Who do think I am? Baby Face Nelson? I'm the victim here. In an accident and instead of getting me help you draw your gun? What's this world coming too? I'm gonna have your badge, sonny."Face red with anger, his dentures popped out of his mouth and landed on the street.

Tolo's eyes followed the teeth down. Stunned. Trying to hold the guffaw stuck in his throat.

Sue watched the ongoings bemused, not sure if she should laugh or cry. For sure he was no gunman. He could barely hold up his cane, nevermind a rifle. He didn't even look like he could see over the top of the steering wheel.

Once Tolo determined that this was simply an accident and not an attempt on Sue's life, he holstered his weapon and tried to placate the very senior citizen, asking if he needed medical help and taking down the necessary information required of a car crash.

Sue jumped as Reed ran up behind her and grabbed her shoulder.

"Are you alright?!"

She turned and hugged her fiancé. "I'm fine. Actually, it was probably a good thing it was me standing here. That guy would have still lost control and plowed into everyone who was on this sidewalk."

Reed looked over at Tolo and the living fossil throwing a tantrum in front of him. "That's the driver? What's he doing behind the wheel of a car?!"

Sue just shrugged. Noticing Ben behind Reed, she grew alarmed. "Who's with Johnny!?

The three of them bolted for the hospital, pushing again the flow of the crowd still interested in the accident scene. They were confronted with an empty chair abandoned in front of Johnny's room.

Ben didn't hesitate and exploded through the closed door, splintering it.

He found the cop inside crouched down, his weapon drawn and pointed at the entrance. If Ben could blush, he'd be glowing crimson.

Upon recognizing the huge man, the officer stood and holstered his gun. "What the hell didja do that for?"

"When we didn't see you outside. The accident…"

Reed pushed Ben aside. "Everything okay here?"

"Yeah. I came in here in case he needed anything. What's going on?"

"We thought the accident outside might have been a diversion at getting to Johnny. When we didn't see you out front, you know, we thought…"

The cop smiled. "Yeah. Well, I hope you can afford a new door." He looked down at the splintered wreck.

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The gunman slammed the rifle down on the floor of the empty room. The trigger was squeezed at that precise moment that some moron drove his car right at the target. The bullet harmlessly bounced off her damned force field.

"Hell with it! I'll just finish off that walking matchstick.

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Sue walked into room 523 and caught her brother looking out the window. The bed was raised so that he was almost sitting. "Hey, you've finally got some color to your face."

"Look…" He raised his arm to show an IV. "Hooked up and everything. Even got that annoying beep, beep, beep for my heart."

"We had to do a bit of finagling but once we were sure you were past those unconscious flareups, we thought it would do you good to get out of that cold, stark room. At least now you can look out the window. How're feeling?"

"Still way sore."

"Johnny, you were shot only 2 days ago. Just because you can become a giant candle and fly doesn't make you heal any faster. You lost a lot of blood. You almost died. Did you know you were melting stuff in the OR?"

Johnny's face lit up. "Really? Cool."

"Not cool! They ended up emptying the room out except for the surgeon and his assistant. They were afraid you were going to blow the place up with all the different gases they use. Including oxygen!"

He snorted a laugh then grabbed at his wound. "Owww. I gotta remember not to laugh."

Sue saw his eyes getting heavy, so she sat down in the chair by the window and opened her book as he slipped into a restful sleep

In the waiting room sat a figure, flipping through a magazine, watching room 523. There always seemed to be someone in that room. But all that was needed was one minute to do what needed to be done. One minute for everyone to leave him alone.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the Fantastic Four, nor earn monies from the stories I've written. I wish to thank Marvel and Stan Lee for allowing me to write fan fics with their creations.

**THE OBVIOUS IS NOT SO OBVIOUS**

The police office on duty poked his head into Johnny's room. "Okay that I go get a cup of coffee?"

Sue looked up from her magazine. "Sure. It's quiet enough here."

"Can I get you anything?"

"Actually, yeah. I could use a cup. Are you using the machine down the hall? If so, they have a pretty good cappuccino."

Sue went back to reading but was startled by the sounds of Johnny's voice.

"Look outside."

She glanced outside, turned back to Johnny and shrugged.

"Dark."

She still shrugged. Confused. Wondering if her brother was sleep-talking or delirious.

"Late.

"Caffeine.

"Sleep?

"Big sister tossing and turning all night worried about poor little brother?"

Her baffled look morphed into a scowl. "Okay, I get the picture. I'll get decaf. Maybe be a little less cryptic next time?"

She looked around the room, just out of habit, and when she was about to ask if he'd be alright by himself, heard his deep rhythmic breathing. Those short bursts of being awake was unsettling, but he always seemed better each time he woke up. And the doctors didn't seem bothered by it.

Sue snuck to the door, peeked out along the quiet corridor and felt it safe enough to chase down the cop before he got the coffee. Visiting hours had ended not too long ago, and the hustle and bustle of many family and friends checking up on loved ones had been replaced by the monotone beeping of monitors. She was given special dispensation to stay due to the severe attacks on her brother and her super abilities to protect him.

Her soft soled shoes let out a faint squeak on the highly polished floor as she hurried down the hall. She had the feeling the officer would not let her pay him back for the cup of coffee and she would feel terrible not drinking it. _Dang! Why was the drink machine so far away? _

The figure in the waiting area felt a whoosh of wind as Sue hurried past. The magazine was slapped closed on the table as they made a bee-line to room 523. A quick glance around made sure no one was around and they slipped inside. The door clicked close.

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Tolo, Reed and Ben were huddled around a table at the police station studying different pictures and profiles.

Ben sat back and rubbed his eyes. "Is there any chance that this could be a plain old random thing?"

Tolo looked just as tired as Ben. "It could have been after the first hit. But with so many attempts against either Johnny or all of you, it's too coincidental."

"What about that red herring thing you mentioned?"

The detective tweaked his mouth. "Yeah, it's still a possibility. But that's a hard pattern to follow. Sometimes it seems like Johnny's the target, but then sometimes it looks like it could be any of you. It's all over the place. I'm still betting it's someone who hates the team and is trying to get anyones of yous."

Ben smirked, "Anyones of yous?"

"Alright. No makin fun of my accent!

"Okay, let's get back to business. How about we go over all the shootings again?"

Reed slumped deeper into his chair. "What more will we learn from hashing them out AGAIN?"

Tolo ignored him. "Ben, you said you didn't see the actually shooting? Just seconds after it happened?"

"Yeah. I saw Johnny holding the girl, like she tripped into his arms on purpose. 'cept, she didn't giggle or nothing. Just hung limp. Who was she?

"A student at the college. She came from the Midwest somewhere. She roomed with two other girls. One of them moved out about a month earlier."

Reed looked at the cop. "Did you check that out? Maybe it was the girl after all. She had a fight with the roommate, kicked'er out and the roommate got even."

"We did. But the girl left voluntarily. She didn't like living there."

"Did she say why?"

"Uh-uh. But, that still doesn't explain why Johnny got shot a couple months later."

Ben asked, "Could they be totally unrelated events?"

Tolo raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm, I didn't think about that angle. I should have. I'll check into that in the morning. I don't know 'bout yous guys but I'm tired and I'm going home to bed."

"We're going to stop by the hospital and pick up Sue. Ben says he's going to stay the night with Johnny."

"You know you don't have to. A cop's on 24 hrs a day. There'll always be someone there guarding him."

"Yeah. But I sleep in the hospital chairs better than I do at home. At least for now."

Tolo smiled at the hulking man. His voice could curl hair on a bald man, but he has a true heart of gold. He got up, the chair scrapping against the floor like fingernails on a chalkboard. "Okay. I'll catch up with you tomorrow."

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Sue and Officer Caz chatted casually as they returned to the room. It took Sue a moment to figure out what was wrong with the picture. "I didn't close the door when I left!"

The officer instinctively put his hand in front of Sue. "Stand back." But it was a moot gesture. She was at the door, force field up before he could move.

They found someone leaning over a groggy Johnny, holding something in her hand.

Caz yelled, "DROP IT!"


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the Fantastic Four, nor earn monies from the stories I've written. I wish to thank Marvel and Stan Lee for allowing me to write fan fics with their creations.

**THE OBVIOUS IS NOT SO OBVIOUS**

Detective Tolo bolted upright knocking the flimsy metal chair over with a clatter. "Holy shit!" He punched a button on the archaic black phone. "Jules, find out who's on duty at the hospital watching Johnny Storm and gimme his number."

Tolo stared down at the picture of the dead woman; the one that ended up in Johnny's arms and the information next to it. He knocked himself in the forehead with the palm of his hand. "I can't believe I didn't catch this sooner."

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A startled young woman bolted upright. A deer-in-headlights expression on her face. A pen flying from her hand. "I…I…I…."

Sue was ready to blow her out the window. "Who are you and what are you doing to my brother?!"

"I…I…I…I…"

"Ey-ey-ey-what?!"

"I, um, I'm the president of The Johnny Torch Fan Club. I…I…I. Um. I was just trying to get an autograph." She shoved a picture at Sue. It was of the young man in full flame.

Johnny blinked sleep out of his eyes. "That's right Sue. She was trying to get me to sign that."

Officer Caz spoke to Sue. "Seeing that you're the only woman here, would you check her for weapons?"

The young woman's eyes got even bigger. "Weapons? Search? What do you think I am? A murderer?"

"Well actually Miss. Yes, you could very well be the person who wounded Mr. Storm."

Sue finished and gave the all clear and the officer lowered his gun. "I'm still going to have to arrest you for criminal trespass."

"Arrest me?! For wanting an autograph?!" The girl, who looked barely out of her teens was near hysterics.

"What's going on here?" Reed walked into the room with a pissed off Sue, a cop with his gun drawn and a girl about to explode into tears.

"Yeah, what he said." Ben marched in behind him and looked at the girl. "Hey I know you. You trying to weasel another picture with Johnny? Can't you see he's sick in bed? What is it with you fan club people? Can't you ever take a break?"

The cop turned to Ben. "You know her?"

"Yeah. She's a pain in the a…um butt, always chasing after him for an autograph or photo."

Sue softened her stance when she saw the terror in the fan's face. She realized that she was not a dangerous person, just another girl with Johnny infatuation. A fire which he stoked himself. "Caz, is it okay to just let her go with a warning?"

He holstered his weapon. "Yeah. If that's what you want. Up to you."

"Go ahead."

The police officer gave the girl a stern look. "My advice to you…leave this young man and his family alone. Got it?"

She nodded and fled the room before anyone could change their minds. She barreled into a person in a lab coat carrying a tray with syringes and vacutainers. The lab person remained standing but she slid on her butt along the polished floor with the tray of tubes and needles flying about. She stared at the mess on the floor for a moment, got up and ran away.

Sue shook her head. "I bet that girl grows up to be paparazzi. She's got all the makings."

"Oh don't be so harsh, Ms. Storm. I've got an 8 yr old at home that's just ga-ga over your brother. I haven't told her that I'm the one guarding his room. At least not until this gig is over."

Ben chuckled at the sleeping young man. "Ha! An 8 year old gots the hots for matchstick over there. Gonna take a while before I let him live that one down."

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Without a complaint, the lab tech picked up the mess made by the idiot running down the hall. Once everything was in order she smoothed down her lab coat and proceeded to room 523.

"Good evening, Officer. Good evening Miss Storm. Gentlemen. Would you mind stepping out for just a moment while I draw blood on my patient here?" Her smile was warm and sincere.

As the cop exited, his cell phone rang. Sue huddled just outside her brother's room with her fiancé and close friend going over the details of what happened with the obsessed fan. The officer, walking down the hall on the phone with Det. Tolo, stopped dead in his tracks.

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Jessica, the president of the Johnny Torch Fan Club leaned against the back wall as the elevator crept down. "Can this thing go any slower?" She was trying to get her heart rate back to normal. "Man, I can't believe they were going to arrest me just for wanting an autograph! I sure hope that lady I bumped into isn't going to sue me now, too."

The elevator doors opened on the first floor, but she just stood there. Faced scrunched in deep thought. Her mind was focusing back on a minute detail as she sat on the floor upstairs, staring at the mess she had made. It wasn't right. What was wrong with that picture? There was something out of place and she needed to figure it out. She knew there was something not right.

The shoes! It was the shoes! She stood abruptly and punched the 5th floor button and the close-door button hard. Impatient, she continued to hit the close-door button until they finally slid shut. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Crap, I should have taken the stairs! C'mon, hurry up!"

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"A professional?!" Officer Caz tried to digest the information the detective was giving him as the elevator doors slid open. When he saw the mad-fan racing towards him, screaming, he dropped the phone and drew his gun. "You stop right there. Put your hands up. NOW!"

Not realizing that the officer suspected her as the assassin, Jessica ran straight for him, "It's her! It's her!"

"I SAID STOP!"

She ran full speed at him, shrieking, "It's her."

He fired.

Manolo Blahnik


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the Fantastic Four, nor earn monies from the stories I've written. I wish to thank Marvel and Stan Lee for allowing me to write fan fics with their creations.

**THE OBVIOUS IS NOT SO OBVIOUS**

The bullet ricocheted off the force field into a ceiling light. The ensuing pyrotechnics reminded Sue of 4th of July fireworks. The fan club president screeched to a stop. Although she didn't hear what the cop said because his back was to her, Sue had seen that he was going to shoot an unarmed girl and screamed at Caz. "Are you nuts? What the hell are you doing?"

"The guy who shot Johnny? Is a professional. Tolo said be on the lookout for anyone even a woman."

The three team members stared at the cop, then at the terrified girl, frozen in her tracks.

Reed broke the silence. "Well?"

"It's her!" Jessica pointed a shaking hand at the closed door. "The lab tech."

In unison they all looked towards 523. Reed turned back to Jessica. "What makes you say that?"

"It's her shoes. They're Manolo Blahniks!"

They all stared at her with blank expressions.

She couldn't understand why no one thought that was important. "Manolo Blahnik! The most expensive shoes ever made!" Again all she got was vacant looks. "NO LAB PERSON CAN AFFORD $15,000 SHOES!"

It finally sunk in and with Sue leading the way they exploded into Johnny's room. The woman had a syringe filled with a clear liquid poised less than a quarter inch away from a vein in Johnny's arm. She turned, the smile still painted on her face. "I'm almost done. Just give me another minute."

The grin melted off her face as the officer pointed his weapon at her. "Drop that."

"It's just his medicine."

"I said 'DROP IT'. Place your hands behind your back."

"What is this? I'm just doing my job."

Ben snarled, "Is this your sole source of income?"

"Yeah, I'm just like any other working stiff. Now, what's with the Vic Mackey impersonation?"

Jessica couldn't hold it in anymore. "Then how can you afford those shoes?"

The look was fleeting, but there just the same. The hesitation was miniscule but still noticeable. "These. They're imitation. Is that what this is all about? I'm under arrest for wearing imitation shoes?"

Before anyone could react, she flung the syringe at the officer, imbedding it in his chest. She mowed over him a split second later in her flight for the exit. He collapsed easily under her assault. But instead of clearing the door with ease, she bounced back into the room, landing on Johnny's bed. Dazed, she looked over at Sue who was wearing a bone chilling grin as she lowered her force field.

A low growl emanated from Ben's throat as he took a step toward the professional hitwoman. "Why?"

"I want my lawyer."

Ben hit the flimsy hospital food tray table and it splintered into tiny fragments. "Oh, I'll give you a lawyer."

Reed, who had been kneeling over the downed cop looked up at Ben. "Easy Ben. We don't want to give any lawyer a chance to get her off because of a technicality. Sue, get a doctor."

Reed really didn't need to say that as she was already out the door. He pulled the unplunged syringe from Caz's chest, hoping that whatever the drug was, not too much of it got into his system.

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Johnny awoke to an annoying buzz. Detective Tolo was off to the side in a huddle with his three teammates.

"Ben, you were right. Johnny was a red-herring. She was a professional who was after the roommate of the girl that died in his arms. I spoke with the girl that had left. She said she got nervous when she found out one of the girls was the daughter of Russian Mafioso. That girl and the dead girl could have been twins. The hitwoman didn't even know she got the wrong one until we arrested her yesterday.

"When the media broadcasted that the gunman was after Johnny, little-miss-hitlady decided to try to hide her true target by going after him. She really didn't care if he died or not. At least until later. She got pissed at missing him so much and it became personal."

Ben noticed that the detective had a lot of answers. "Wow, she sure is singing like a canary."

"That's because we offered her protection against the guy that hired her if she opened up. In fact, she's willing to sing about several of her bosses for whom she had previous business. Could solve a few murders."

Johnny rubbed his wound. "Well at least this means I wasn't the reason that girl died. I was just in the wrong place. But damn, why did she have to go after me?"

Sue gave her brother a pained look. She knew how much that death had gnawed at him inside.

"So how did I get the hole in my back?" Ben tried to look over his shoulder. "Do ya think she was still trying for Johnny?"

"She was trying for you. Any of yous. But Johnny was the easiest target. Between Ben's thick hide and Sue's force field, she gave up and concentrated on Mr. Matchstick there.

Johnny pushed himself up into a sit. "Owwwww."

"You okay?"

"Sue, don't mother me. I'm alright." He pointed to the young woman that just entered his room. "I promised Jessica a pix with me, showing off my new scar."

"You sure no one's going to shoot at me again?" Jessica feigned hiding a smile.

"No way. You saved my life. I'd be dead now if it weren't for you. Say, how didya know about those shoes?"

"I was shopping online for prom shoes a few years back and found the perfect pair. They were $12,000. Needless to say I didn't get them, but I've kinda watched that brand, you know, wishful thinking.

"How's the cop?"

Sue looked at Jessica. "He's very lucky. It was a muscle relaxant. There was enough drug in that syringe to stop his heart ten times over. …or Johnny's. He did absorb a little of it, he was admitted and they're watching him. He's 2 doors down."

"And I'm lucky you saw him shoot at me." She shivered. "I can't believe he shot at me! I'm nobody."

Seeing her starting to stress from her narrow escape with death, Johnny patted the bed. "Come here. Let's get some pictures. Anyone remember to bring a camera?"

Fin.


End file.
